I sometimes wondered what the use of any of the arts was. The best thing I could come up with was what I call the canary in the coal mine theory of the arts. This theory says that artists are useful to society because they are so sensitive. They are super-sensitive. They keel over like canaries in poison coal mines long before more robust types realize that there is any danger whatsoever.
“Physicist, Purge Thyself” Chicago Tribune Magazine June 22 1969
s a m h o c h b e r g - m e t i c u l o u s l y r a n d o m i z e d 